WINNIPEG — A national beef farmers’ advocacy group has outlined several issues within the industry it hopes federal candidates will address in the upcoming election.
The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association says it would like to see policy reforms in order to create a better operating environment for beef cattle herd expansion.
Some of the issues addressed by the CCA include:
• Increased access for Canadian beef into foreign markets through global negotiations.
• Resolution of a dispute between the United States and Canada on country-of-origin labelling.
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• Implementation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership to address the 38.5 percent tariff imposed by Japan on Canadian beef.
To increase what the CCA perceives as global competiveness issues, the association wants members of Parliament to adopt policies that are near-equivalent to competing countries.
The CCA would like to see federal candidates implement cattle traceability through the Cattle Implementation Plan, which is a cattle identification system developed by provincial and federal governments and industry participants.
The shortage of full-time permanent agricultural and processing labour has become an issue threatening the viability of food production in Canada, the CCA says.
The association would like the government to address vacancies in processing facilities by creating a strategy that would allow plants to hire international workers.
Other issues addressed by the CCA include increased research funding and policies on environmental sustainability, business risk management and social licence.
Generating $9.7 billion in farm cash receipts, the sale of cattle and calves was the largest single sector in Canadian agriculture in 2014, the CCA says.
